International Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Association
Encyclopedia
Background
The International Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the teaching, promotion and propagation of the Traditional Yang-style t'ai chi ch'uan. It was founded on October 29, 1998 by Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo and his grandson Master Yang Jun. The Association is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, USA.History
In 1995, during an exhibition of Yang-style t'ai chi ch'uan promoted by the ShanxiShanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
Tai Chi Chuan Association in Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, a meeting was held with the participation of Masters Yang Zhenduo and Yang Jun and many other instructors of t'ai chi ch'uan from all over the world, whom they had met during their many travels. During the meeting it was decided to create the Yang Chengfu
Yang Chengfu
Yang Chengfu or Yang Ch'eng-fu is historically considered the best known teacher of the soft style martial art of Yang-style t'ai chi ch'uan .-Biography:...
Tai Chi Chuan Centers and subsequently, three offices were opened in the USA in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, with directors Horacio Lopez, Han Hoong Wang and Bill Walsh, respectively. Yang Zhenduo opened these centers in honor of his father, Yang Chengfu
Yang Chengfu
Yang Chengfu or Yang Ch'eng-fu is historically considered the best known teacher of the soft style martial art of Yang-style t'ai chi ch'uan .-Biography:...
, who was responsible for the widespread popularity of Yang-style t'ai chi ch'uan. In 1996 fourth center was added in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, USA, with director Andy Lee.
For years the Masters Yang Zhenduo and Yang Jun had visited the Yang Chengfu
Yang Chengfu
Yang Chengfu or Yang Ch'eng-fu is historically considered the best known teacher of the soft style martial art of Yang-style t'ai chi ch'uan .-Biography:...
Tai Chi Chuan Centers, so the time was ripe for the creation of an International Organization which combined the centers and schools in each country into a cohesive structure. To attract more students, however, it was decided that an Association provided the best structure. So, on October 29, 1998 the International Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Association was founded in Seattle, Washington, USA. Then in August of the following year, Yang Jun, moved to Seattle with his wife Fang Hong and in September opened the Seattle center. Its website first opened on April 24, 1999.
Currently, the Association has 28 centers in 12 countries with more than 2000 members worldwide.
Several martial arts magazines have published articles on the International Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Association.
Purpose
The purpose of the Association is the promotion of Yang-style t'ai chi ch'uan throughout the world. The following are the charters of the Association:- to develop new Yang ChengfuYang ChengfuYang Chengfu or Yang Ch'eng-fu is historically considered the best known teacher of the soft style martial art of Yang-style t'ai chi ch'uan .-Biography:...
Tai Chi Chuan Centers; - to promote interaction with other associations of martial arts;
- to accept individual members;
- to hold seminars and competitions;
- to assess the levels of skills of Yang-style t'ai chi ch'uan practitioners;
- to organize teams of judges in traditional Yang-style t'ai chi ch'uan;
- to provide products of the Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Association.